Title says it all. Here's mine:
10. The World's End
9. Les Miserables
8. Bernie
7. Anchorman 2
6. Trance
5. The Great Gatsby
4. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa
3. Gravity
2. Upstream Colo(u)r
1. The Place Beyond the Pines
MODERATOR NOTE: Please remember to include some sort of reasoning over why you like a movie. One sentence posts of the "The x movie was awesome, I really liked it" kind will not be tolerated. Thank you.~Chaos Jackal
10. The World's End
While many people would argue with me, out of the two apocalyptic comedies (What an eccentric trend!) I saw this year, I preferred this one. It boasted typical British humour, subtle and slapstick both involved. I’m disappointed in that it is continuously compared to Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead, which, yes, are superior, but that shouldn’t take away anything from the film. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost refreshingly switch roles (Pegg now being the idiot) and their performances are fantastic. As with This is the End, however, the ending leaves a lot to be desired.
Not a film for those who hate musicals, Les Miserables reintroduces the selling factor of musicals on the big screen with great success. This is owed to dazzling performances, including Anne Hathaway (Fully deserving of her Oscar) and some surprisingly good singing. The comedy from Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter is contrasted beautifully by some honest, raw scenes. Yes, the film did drag on too long. But I was never bored for one second of it.
Although relatively unheard of and unwatched, Bernie is a sweet film with little plot and big performances. Jack Black is surprisingly humble as charming-buffoon Bernie, who rather unwisely befriends the nasty piece of work that is the town’s wealthiest woman, played by Shirley MacLaine. Black’s subtle humour is contrasted effectively by MacLaine’s arrogant streak. The decision to make Bernie a documentary-esque kind of film works in its favour, giving more relevance to the story as well as being a suitable way of explaining thoughts towards Bernie from his townfolk. In addition. Matthew McConaughey brief performance is exceptional, and foreshadows the next stages of his career (Mud, Dallas Buyers Club), as this film was released in the US in 2011. Heartwarming, curious, and often shocking at times, Bernie is a film that you will enjoy dearly, without it sticking in your memory for too long.
Incredibly funny, incredibly silly. Oh, and Brick is hilarious.
While it received mixed reviews from critics, there is a plentiful amount of positives to take away from Danny Boyle’s first film since directing the London Olympics Opening Ceremony. Not least is the impressive acting ability from James McAvoy, who has had a stellar year (Filth, Welcome to the Punch), and Rosario Dawson, who plays her character smartly as a sly, slippery woman who pulls the strings throughout the movie. The performance from Vincent Cassel is less-so-fantastic, who is simply boring to watch. Yet anything poor about Trance is redeemed by the typical Danny Boyle trait of a booming soundtrack, the colourful, dream-like imagery and clever, if a little insane plot.
Another movie that was slammed by critics, being too in-your-face, boisterous, and absolutely not atypical of the era it was set in. Well, it seems like critics miss the point of Baz Luhrmann and his style. This film perhaps encapsulates everything Luhrmann moreso than Romeo & Juliet, or even Moulin Rouge. It’s also the film I prefer the most out of the trio; booming music, incredible visuals that, contrary to what most people think, don’t tire you out the longer you progress into the movie, and once again, dazzling performances. Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton steal the show; Mulligan as a romantic woman torn between her husband and Gatsby, and Edgerton as a plastic, slimy, charmless husband to Mulligan. Edgerton’s brutality is exquisite. As too is Mulligan’s facade of a sweet innocent woman, and her accent is impressive. Sadly, the same can’t be said for DiCaprio’s accent, which comes across as more irritating than anything else. His performance, on the other hand, is what would be expected of Gatsby, but it’s a little overplayed at times and the jury is out over whether he’s working hard to act, or just playing himself. Nevertheless, if you’re a fan of Luhrmann, The Great Gatsby impresses and entertains on so many levels, with the only afterthought being a gobsmacked “wow”.
Steve Coogan effortlessly transfers his TV persona onto the big screen, in a much more impressive faction than Mitchell and Webb’s The Magicians. The reason why? Alpha Papa is undoubtedly the funniest comedy of the year. Slapstick merges seamlessly with stunning one-liners spewed from a top-class script: “We’re asking, what is the worst monger? Iron, fish… rumour… or war?”. Amazing. Coogan isn’t self-indulgent either in the way he wants to show Partridge off to the audience, ever keen to embarrass himself, or portray him selfishly. The humble performance is just the pinnacle of what has been a stellar year for Coogan, appearing in other films such as What Maisie Knew and the Oscar-outsider Philomena. Funny stuff.
Gravity’s minimalistic plot is by no means unintentional; if anything, it helps capture the audience more vividly in the overwhelmingly realistic details weaved into the film. More impressive is the immeasurable, inescapable tension felt throughout the film. Akin to All is Lost, the plot involves the feeling of helplessness as character(s) are trapped in a situation from where there is seemingly no way out. And for a large part of the film, you can sense that Bullock’s character’s future is escaping from her grasp. Does she make it back to Earth? Well, this is a high-grossing Hollywood film, so I’ll let you make your mind up from there. Clooney’s surprising calmness in the face of a treacherous scenario is refreshing, if a little cliche. What particularly impresses is Sandra Bullock’s physical acting, where she epitomises fragility and fear with little dialogue. While the Oscar for Best Actress will most likely go to Cate Blanchett for her work in Blue Jasmine, Bullock perhaps gives the performance of her career in this film. Stunning visuals also work in the film’s favour, which helps to engage with the audience as if you’re in place of Bullock. Mesmerising, Gravity is a spectacle of a film where you may need to watch in the 3D medium to appreciate it fully.
Thought-provoking, subtle, beautiful: Upstream Color is everything you want in a film. And best of all, oh best of all, it makes you think rather than cramming its message down your throat.
Bradley Cooper is great to watch. Dane DeHaan impacts you emotionally. Yet the credit for why The Place Beyond The Pines is such a good film (and it really is) rests solely on Ryan Gosling’s shoulders. Gosling, despite his limited screentime, manages to make you sympathise with him despite his terrible actions. he’s moving (And yes, I cried once or twice), relatable, and a tour de force of an actor just from his sorrowful expressions. This film mainly balances two concepts; the idea of consequences and the idea of family. Each link in numerous amounts of ways, but to explain any more would give the film a way. Watch it for yourself and find out why I’m raving about it.
MODERATOR NOTE: Please remember to include some sort of reasoning over why you like a movie. One sentence posts of the "The x movie was awesome, I really liked it" kind will not be tolerated. Thank you.~Chaos Jackal
. Well-made movie, followed the book closely in most cases, very nice acting, and Middle Earth is just as stunning as it usually is. The environment is very good, if I say so myself.
